A Wonderful Season

I see that our last post was October 12, nearly a month ago. So it is time to bring all our readers up-to-date.
To start with we have had a beautiful fall. The long warm summer and early autumn created the perfect conditions for a very colorful fall. The trees have been beautiful, and as I write they still are beautiful - deep oranges and fire-bright yellows and purples mixed in with the dark evergreens. It is so spectacular to watch the seasons change and see such natural beauty all around. In addition to the fall colors we get to watch the majestic mountains turn white once again with a new blanket of snow. From Scappoose on a clear day you can see Mt St. Helens, Mt Adams and Mt Hood. They are a beautiful in their new white drape and a wonderful part of our landscape.

And then the rains started. If you have been watching our weather you know that two weeks ago we were hit with what they call the "Pineapple Express", a weather pattern where the jet stream stretches directly across the Pacific from Hawaii to our coast with the result that we get huge amounts of rain and very mild temperatures. The other evening Pam reported that our rain gauge recorded 4.8 inches from Saturday morning to Monday evening. It has subsided some, but more rain is on the way...But it isn't really that bad, and our forests and crop lands and rivers really needed a good soaking after a long dry summer. And hey, it's Oregon, and the Northwest didn't earn the "wet" reputation accidently.

But it is November, and that means the onset of the holidays and in our household, birthdays and an anniversary. Sara turned 8 on November 2. She invited her girl classmates for a party this past Saturday. They had a great time. And then Pam turns *&% on November 27. And then we celebrate our third anniversary on November 19! So with Thanksgiving thrown in there somewere it is a very eventful month.














Sara continues with her ice skating lessons. She got a new pair of pink ice skates!! for her birthday. She was very anxious to try them out. She looks so cute in them with her pony tail bobbing along! She finished her first series of lessons and did very well. Now she has begin her second series where the skills previously introduced are made more sure, and new movements are learned. And just today she had one of her best girl friends from school accompany her. After her lesson they both skated the free period for a while. Such fun!














The end of Octoberrrr Walt joined the fathers and sons of Glencullen Baptist Church for a campout to the scenic Metolius River in the central Cascades. It was a time of Christian fellowship, introduction to fly fishing on a gorgeous river, and beautiful mountain scenery. It was a first for the men of our church in recent years, and everyone came home saying we needed to do it again soon. I had a great time and was privileged to bring a devotional around the campfire and under a canopy of bright stars on Friday evening. My thoughts developed The Place and Promise of Biblical Meditation in the Christian's life, and my texts were Joshua 1:8; the entirety of Psalm 1 and James 1:22-25.
Well not much else to add now. We trust all are enjoying this wonderful time of the year and looking forward to the holidays and the celebration of Thanksgiving and the wonder and glory of the Advent. It is a wonderful time of the year.



Walt for the three of us.